→History: merged & wikified |
|||
Line 24: | Line 24: | ||
==History== |
==History== |
||
===1887-1919=== |
|||
⚫ | Arsenal have had a reserve team since their early days based in [[Plumstead]] as Royal Arsenal FC, with the reserve side winning the [[1889-90 in English football|1889-90]] [[Kent Junior Cup]]. In [[1895-96 in English football|1895-96]] Woolwich Arsenal (as they had been renamed in 1891) reserves joined the [[Kent League]], winning the title the next season but leaving in 1900 or some time soon after.<ref>{{cite web | |
||
⚫ | Arsenal have had a reserve team since their early days based in [[Plumstead]] as Royal Arsenal FC, with the reserve side initially set up in 1887. Initially playing friendlies and cup competitions, winning the [[1889-90 in English football|1889-90]] [[Kent Junior Cup]]. In [[1895-96 in English football|1895-96]] Woolwich Arsenal (as they had been renamed in 1891) reserves joined the [[Kent League]], winning the title the next season but leaving in 1900 or some time soon after.<ref>{{cite web | |
||
title=Woolwich Arsenal Reserves | |
title=Woolwich Arsenal Reserves | |
||
Line 32: | Line 34: | ||
}}</ref> They later joined the [[London League]] and won three titles during the 1900s. |
}}</ref> They later joined the [[London League]] and won three titles during the 1900s. |
||
From [[1900-01 in English football|1900-01]] to [[1902-03 in English football|1902-03]] the reserves played in the [[West Kent League]], winning the title for every season <ref name="andykelly"/> they played. Too strong for the local opposition, in 1903 the team moved to [[South Eastern League]], playing there until [[1914-15 in English football|1914-15]] when football was suspended due to the [[First World War]]. Concurrent to this period, the reserves were also entered in the [[London League|London League First Division]] in seasons [[1906-07 in English football|1906-07]], [[1907-08 in English football|1907-08]], [[1908-09 in English football|1908-09]], [[1913-14 in English football|1913-14]] and [[1914-15 in English football|1914-15]]. The club dropped the "Woolwich" from their name in 1913, becoming plain "Arsenal". |
|||
The club dropped the "Woolwich" from their name in 1913, and following the end of [[World War I]], Arsenal Reserves entered the [[Football Combination|London Combination]] league and competed there until 1999, winning eighteen titles, as well as three Combination Cups. In 1999 they left the combination to become founder members of the FA Premier Reserve League; they have never won the competition, although they finished as runners-up in 2001-02. |
|||
'''1887 – 1914'''<br /> |
|||
Formed in 1886 as Dial Square and being renamed as Royal Arsenal shortly after, Arsenal’s first season consisted of friendly matches played by a single ‘first team’. |
|||
For their second season - 1887-88 - a reserve team was formed. The reserve team played in friendly matches and occasional cup competitions between 1886-87 and 1894-95. The reserve team was entered into the Kent League for the 1895-96 season and played in this league until the end of the 1899-1900 season except for 1897-98. |
|||
For the 1893-94 season, Arsenal also fielded a youth team that played in 8 friendly matches. |
|||
From 1900-01 to 1902-03 the reserves played in the West Kent League. The competition in these local leagues wasn’t considered strong enough so the team entered the South Eastern League. They played in the South Eastern League from 1903-04 to 1914-15 when football was suspended due to the First World War. During this period, the reserves were also entered in the London League 1st Division in seasons 1906-07, 1907-08, 1908-09, 1913-14 and 1914-15. |
|||
'''First World War'''<br /> |
|||
During the First World War, Arsenal’s first team played in a regional league called the London Combination. The reserve team was disbanded. |
|||
⚫ | |||
Upon resumption of normal football after the First World War, the London Combination was continued but was competed for by reserve teams of London based senior clubs. For the 1926-27 season, the competition was expanded to include teams as far afield as Portsmouth, Swansea, Southend and Leicester. The league was re-named the Football Combination in the summer of 1939. |
|||
Arsenal first entered the London FA Challenge Cup in 1908-09. The team generally consisted of first team players until 1931 when the reserves were played. |
|||
To give opportunities to younger players, Arsenal created an ‘A’ team in 1929. This team played in the London Professional Mid-week League until the end of the 1933-34 season. During the summer of 1934, Arsenal took on Margate as its nursery team. Arsenal agreed to send promising youngsters to Margate to give them valuable experience in the strong Southern League and were given first choice on any Margate players. This resulted in a very successful 4-year period for the Kent club. |
|||
In 1938, the club decided to cut its ties with Margate and entered a team in the Southern League in its own right. Home games were played at Enfield’s ground in Southury Road. |
|||
'''Second World War'''<br /> |
|||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
'''1946 – 1999'''<br /> |
|||
⚫ | For the 1946-47 season, the Football Combination resumed but the league was split into |
||
Following the end of World War I, Arsenal Reserves took the first team's place in the [[Football Combination|London Combination]] league (which was renamed the Football Combination in the summer of 1939). For the [[1926-27 in English football|1926-27]] season, the competition was expanded to include teams as far afield as Portsmouth, Swansea, Southend and Leicester. During the inter-war period the reserves matched the first team's success, winning the Combination title eleven times. Additionally, from 1931 onwards the reserves were entered into the [[London FA Challenge Cup]], winning it twice in [[1933-34 in English football|1933-34]] and [[1935-36 in English football|1935-36]]. |
|||
The reserves continued to be entered in the London FA Challenge Cup until the 1973-74 season. The first team was entered during the 1961-62 season. |
|||
To give opportunities to younger players, Arsenal created an 'A' team in 1929. Initially the 'A' team entered the [[London Professional Mid-Week League]] and were champions in [[1931-32 in English football|1931-32]].<ref name="andykelly">{{cite web |
|||
The ‘A’ team was resurrected at the start of the 1948-49 season when a team was entered in the Eastern Counties League, Eastern Counties League Cup and East Anglian Cup. This continued until the end of the 1954-55 season although the East Anglian Cup was also entered for the next two seasons. |
|||
| url= http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andy.kelly/stats/stats.htm |
|||
| title= Complete Honours List |
|||
| accessdate=2006-12-03 |
|||
| work=Arsenal Pics |
|||
| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20030408071449/homepage.ntlworld.com/andy.kelly/stats/stats.htm |
|||
| archivedate=2003-04-08 |
|||
| author=Kelly, Andy }}</ref> |
|||
During the summer of 1934, Arsenal took on Kent side [[Margate F.C.|Margate]] as their nursery team. Arsenal agreed to send promising youngsters to Margate to give them experience in the [[Southern Football League|Southern League]] and were given first choice on any Margate players. The two clubs enjoyed the relationship for four years before Arsenal broke it off in 1938. In 1938, after cutting ties with nursery club [[Margate F.C.|Margate]], Arsenal entered the reserve team in the Southern League in its own right. Home games were played at [[Enfield F.C.|Enfield]]'s ground in [[Southury Road]]. The club finished 6th in [[1938-39 in English football|1938-39]]. Meanwhile, Arsenal re-entered their 'A' team into the London Professional Mid-Week League. |
|||
In addition, the ‘A’ team was also entered in the London Mid-week League from 1949-50 to 1957-58. This was used to give trials to young players. |
|||
⚫ | |||
During the summer of 1958, the ‘A’ team was entered into the Metropolitan League, Metropolitan League Cup and Metropolitan League Professional Cup. This proved a very successful venture until the mid-1960s. Towards the end of the 1960s, the ‘A’ team struggled against strong amateur teams and the club declined to enter a team after the close of the 1968-69 season. During the 1967-68 and 1968-69 seasons the Metropolitan Autumn Shield |
|||
was also entered. |
|||
===1945-1999=== |
|||
Between 1948-49 and 1950-51 the club used Chase of Chertsey as a nursery club. This did not prove particularly fruitful with Brian Walsh being the only player to make the Arsenal first team. |
|||
⚫ | For the [[1946-47 in English football|1946-47]] season, the Football Combination resumed but the league was split into two divisions with the winners of each division playing in a final to decide the champions. A new competition was introduced – the [[Football Combination Cup]]. This was the same teams that played in the Football Combination but divided into 4 groups with the winners of each group playing in semi-finals and a final. This format continued until the end of the [[1954-55 in English football|1954-55]] season. From [[1955-56 in English football|1955-56]] the Football Combination continued generally as a normal league format, occasionally consisting of two divisions with promotion and relegation. The Football Combination Cup was discontinued but re-instated for seasons [[1965-66 in English football|1965-66]] to [[1969-70 in English football|1969-70]] inclusive and [[1996-97 in English football|1996-97]]. The reserves continued to be entered in the London FA Challenge Cup until the [[1973-74 in English football|1973-74]] season, with the exception of [[1961-62 in English football|1961-62]] when the first team were entered. |
||
In 1954, Arsenal started its own youth team. It entered the South Eastern Counties League (re-named the South East Counties League the following season) along with the South East Counties League Cup, FA Youth Cup and London Minor FA Challenge Cup. The youth team played in the South East(ern) Counties League and Cup from 1954-55 to 1997-98 (excluding 1967-68 and 1968-69); the London Minor FA Challenge Cup from 1954-55 to 1955-56 and 1959-60 to 1966-67; the FA Youth Cup from 1954-55 to present; the Southern Junior Floodlit Cup from 1955-56 to 1971-72 and 1974-75 to 1998-99. |
|||
The 'A' team was resurrected at the start of the [[1948-49 in English football|1948-49]] season when a team was entered in the [[Eastern Counties League]], [[Eastern Counties League Cup]] and [[East Anglian Cup]]. This continued until the end of the [[1954-55 in English football|1954-55]] season although the East Anglian Cup was also entered for the next two seasons. In addition, the 'A' team was also entered in the London Professional Mid-Week League from [[1949-50 in English football|1949-50]] to [[1957-58 in English football|1957-58]], winning a second time in [[1952-53 in English football|1952-53]]. During the summer of 1958, the 'A' team was entered into the Metropolitan League, Metropolitan League Cup and Metropolitan League Professional Cup. This proved a very successful venture until the mid-1960s. Towards the end of the 1960s, the 'A' team struggled against strong amateur teams and the club declined to enter a team after the close of the [[1968-69 in English football|1968-69]] season. |
|||
'''1997/1998/1999 – Present'''<br /> |
|||
⚫ | |||
===1999-present=== |
|||
The youth team joined the FA Premier Youth League in 1998-99. The following season this was split into an Under-19 and Under-17 section – |
|||
Arsenal entered teams in both sections. Since 2004/5 the FA Premier Youth League has been a single section for Under-18s although an Under-16 section is played. |
|||
⚫ | In 1999 they left the Combination to become founder members of the FA Premier Reserve League; they have never won the competition, although they finished as runners-up in 2001-02. From the 1999-2000 season, the reserves have played in the FA Premier Reserve League (South). Players from the reserve team have also been used extensively in the [[Football League Cup|League Cup]] since the 1997-98 season. |
||
Since 1955 the youth team has played in numerous youth team tournaments. These tournaments usually consisted of a number of teams from different countries. Matches tend to be much shorter than normal with more than one match played each day. |
|||
==Current squad== |
==Current squad== |
Revision as of 23:58, 30 November 2007
File:Arsenal FC.png | |||
Full name | Arsenal Football Club Reserves | ||
---|---|---|---|
Nickname(s) | The Gunners | ||
Founded | 1886 | ||
Ground | Underhill Stadium Barnet Greater London | ||
Capacity | 5,500 | ||
Chairman | Peter Hill-Wood | ||
Head Coach | Neil Banfield | ||
League | FA Premier Reserve League | ||
2006-07 | FAPRL Southern Division, 9th | ||
|
Arsenal Reserves are the reserve team of Arsenal Football Club.
They have been members of the FA Premier Reserve League Southern Division since its foundation in 1999. They play their home games at Underhill Stadium, which is also the home of Barnet FC. The team mainly consists of Under-21 players at the club, although senior players occasionally play in the reserve side, for instance when they are recovering from injury.
The reserves' head coach is Neil Banfield, who picks and manages the side, with Mike Salmon as his assistant. Arsenal's head of youth development Liam Brady and his assistant David Court oversee the development of the squad in general.
History
1887-1919
Arsenal have had a reserve team since their early days based in Plumstead as Royal Arsenal FC, with the reserve side initially set up in 1887. Initially playing friendlies and cup competitions, winning the 1889-90 Kent Junior Cup. In 1895-96 Woolwich Arsenal (as they had been renamed in 1891) reserves joined the Kent League, winning the title the next season but leaving in 1900 or some time soon after.[1] They later joined the London League and won three titles during the 1900s.
From 1900-01 to 1902-03 the reserves played in the West Kent League, winning the title for every season [2] they played. Too strong for the local opposition, in 1903 the team moved to South Eastern League, playing there until 1914-15 when football was suspended due to the First World War. Concurrent to this period, the reserves were also entered in the London League First Division in seasons 1906-07, 1907-08, 1908-09, 1913-14 and 1914-15. The club dropped the "Woolwich" from their name in 1913, becoming plain "Arsenal".
1919-1939
Following the end of World War I, Arsenal Reserves took the first team's place in the London Combination league (which was renamed the Football Combination in the summer of 1939). For the 1926-27 season, the competition was expanded to include teams as far afield as Portsmouth, Swansea, Southend and Leicester. During the inter-war period the reserves matched the first team's success, winning the Combination title eleven times. Additionally, from 1931 onwards the reserves were entered into the London FA Challenge Cup, winning it twice in 1933-34 and 1935-36.
To give opportunities to younger players, Arsenal created an 'A' team in 1929. Initially the 'A' team entered the London Professional Mid-Week League and were champions in 1931-32.[2]
During the summer of 1934, Arsenal took on Kent side Margate as their nursery team. Arsenal agreed to send promising youngsters to Margate to give them experience in the Southern League and were given first choice on any Margate players. The two clubs enjoyed the relationship for four years before Arsenal broke it off in 1938. In 1938, after cutting ties with nursery club Margate, Arsenal entered the reserve team in the Southern League in its own right. Home games were played at Enfield's ground in Southury Road. The club finished 6th in 1938-39. Meanwhile, Arsenal re-entered their 'A' team into the London Professional Mid-Week League.
At the start of the 1939-40 season the reserves played two Football Combination games and one Southern League game before football was suspended due to the outbreak of the Second World War. Arsenal did not run a reserve or an 'A' team during the war.
1945-1999
For the 1946-47 season, the Football Combination resumed but the league was split into two divisions with the winners of each division playing in a final to decide the champions. A new competition was introduced – the Football Combination Cup. This was the same teams that played in the Football Combination but divided into 4 groups with the winners of each group playing in semi-finals and a final. This format continued until the end of the 1954-55 season. From 1955-56 the Football Combination continued generally as a normal league format, occasionally consisting of two divisions with promotion and relegation. The Football Combination Cup was discontinued but re-instated for seasons 1965-66 to 1969-70 inclusive and 1996-97. The reserves continued to be entered in the London FA Challenge Cup until the 1973-74 season, with the exception of 1961-62 when the first team were entered.
The 'A' team was resurrected at the start of the 1948-49 season when a team was entered in the Eastern Counties League, Eastern Counties League Cup and East Anglian Cup. This continued until the end of the 1954-55 season although the East Anglian Cup was also entered for the next two seasons. In addition, the 'A' team was also entered in the London Professional Mid-Week League from 1949-50 to 1957-58, winning a second time in 1952-53. During the summer of 1958, the 'A' team was entered into the Metropolitan League, Metropolitan League Cup and Metropolitan League Professional Cup. This proved a very successful venture until the mid-1960s. Towards the end of the 1960s, the 'A' team struggled against strong amateur teams and the club declined to enter a team after the close of the 1968-69 season.
1999-present
In 1999 they left the Combination to become founder members of the FA Premier Reserve League; they have never won the competition, although they finished as runners-up in 2001-02. From the 1999-2000 season, the reserves have played in the FA Premier Reserve League (South). Players from the reserve team have also been used extensively in the League Cup since the 1997-98 season.
Current squad
As of 2007-08-31. Squad numbers, where given, are for the first-team squad not the reserves.[3] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
Honours
Only reserve team honours are listed.[4]
- Football Combination (formerly the London Combination): 18
- 1922-23, 1926-27, 1927-28, 1928-29, 1929-30, 1930-31, 1933-34, 1934-35, 1936-37, 1937-38, 1938-39, 1946-47, 1950-51, 1962-63, 1968-69, 1969-70, 1983-84, 1989-90
- Football Combination Cup: 3
- 1952-53, 1967-68, 1969-70
- London FA Challenge Cup: 7
- 1933-34, 1935-36, 1953-54, 1954-55, 1957-58, 1962-63, 1969-70
- Kent League: 1
- 1896-97
- West Kent League: 3
- 1900-01, 1901-02, 1902-03
- London League First Division: 3
- 1901-02, 1903-04, 1906-07
- Kent Junior Cup: 1
- 1889-90
Coverage
All of Arsenal Reserves' Premier Reserve League matches have been broadcast on Arsenal TV Online, a paid subscription service on Arsenal FC's website, since 2004. From January 2008 they will also be broadcast on Arsenal TV, a television station dedicated to the club.
Footnotes
- ^ "Woolwich Arsenal Reserves". Football Club History Database.
- ^ a b Kelly, Andy. "Complete Honours List". Arsenal Pics. Archived from the original on 2003-04-08. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
- ^ "Reserves Squad 2006/2007". Arsenal.com. Retrieved 2006-11-20.
- ^ Kelly, Andy. "Complete Honours List". Arsenal Pics. Archived from the original on 2003-04-08. Retrieved 2006-12-03.